The Human Rights Costs during Plan Colombia

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Click here to see our infographic on the Human Costs of the Colombian Conflict.

[Haga clic aquí para ver la infografía sobre los costos en
derechos humanos durante el Plan Colombia en español.]

Human Rights Costs During Plan Colombia CoverDownload the infographic on the
Human Rights Costs
during Plan Colombia.

Colombia stands on the brink of peace —with hope of reaching an end to a fifty-year war that has left 220,000 dead— over 80 percent of whom were civilians.

Beginning in 2000, a U.S. policy and aid package known as Plan Colombia intensified the military conflict. Over the course of more than a decade, the United States provided Colombia with 9.94 billion dollars in aid, 71 percent of which went to Colombia’s security forces.

Since the start of Plan Colombia, more than 6 million people were victimized, more than 4 million people were displaced, more than 4,300 civilians were murdered allegedly by government security forces to up the body count, more than 1,000 trade unionists and 400 human rights defenders were murdered, and countless women suffered sexual violence.

As we look forward to peace, we know that this history should not be repeated. The human toll of this security strategy is devastating and cannot be forgotten.

See just some of the human costs of the conflict during Plan Colombia in the Latin America Working Group Education Fund’s infographic: The Human Rights Costs during Plan Colombia.